1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic lottery system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many states in this country have adopted some type of public lottery system for the purpose of supplementing their revenue. The lottery system has become an accepted alternative to increased taxes and participants are willing to invest in a chance for greater gain.
While the lottery may have a psychological advantage over taxes, it must also be economically practical. Existing lotteries usually involve the purchasing of a numbered ticket with a subsequent drawing determining the winner. Another type lottery called "Instant Lottery" requires the scratching of a filmed ticket surface to determine an instant win. However, lotteries of this type are based upon the premise that a certain number of tickets are going to win of all the tickets produced. This means of determining odds might only be effective if all of the tickets produced are sold and winning and losing tickets are distributed evenly throughout the system.
This however, is not the case. The authorities running the system can never be sure how many tickets will be sold or whether winning tickets are proportionately distributed with losers. Because of this, the player can never be sure exactly what his chances are. Printed tickets are capable of being forged, stolen, lost or even misprinted, which recently occurred on a grant scale in New York State, all of which reveals the fraility of such systems, and ultimately results in player discontent.
Also, the overall administration of such a system is extremely expensive and ever increasing with the cost of services and governmental operation always on the rise. Considerable overhead is alone present in the printing and distribution of the tickets. In order to maintain the lottery as a viable source of revenue, a change from the present form is necessary.
In addition, conventional wagering machines are generally localized thus limiting their access by the public. If a wagering machine is located so as to be outside of a controlled (security guard environment) area in situations where wins are paid in cash money from the wagering machine, the wins and winner are subject to foul play by either witnesses to the win at the scene, or subsequently when they depart. The larger the win the greater the criminal attraction. Even at the very scene of the win a winner may be contested by a by-stander who might assume the role of the winner albeit fraudulently so. Also, any wagering machine that delivers cash money to the winners and is located without intimate security protection is a vulnerable source for the criminal in that of necessity the wagering machine would be obliged to inventory a sizable amount of money as pay-out should an early win occur, i.e., Vegas slot machines. It would be hard to imagine any privately owned location (store) owner being comfortable with a wagering machine on his premises that carries large cash inventory.
Casinos operate to provide the controlled environment for such machines. These casinos have very large slot machines that have capabilities of huge sum wins (up to $1,000,000). In that casino guards are in saturation, the win status as exposed at the wagering machine readout, the win is fairly secured to the winner, however only if the winner drapes his body around the machine until the guard(s) appear and correlate the winner to the win. Should the winner leave the machine in search of a guard he may find another body claiming the win. Where the true winner is identified to all satisfaction, he has the choice of redeeming his win from the cashier of the casino (no slot could possibly pay out huge sums) by demanding cash or a casino check drawn to his name (identifiable). In most all cases the check is the vehicle because of its inherent security.
Also, an essential value to any game play where entertainment is a strong motivating force to the player is that it be visibly novel and unique. Much of the video-arcade enticement today is the novelty of the use of the various, not before applied, elements that are peripheral to the play itself, i.e., Pac Man uses a Joy Stick for screen character control and has a musical score that is truly reflective of the screen action.
While efficiency, security and novelty are of general concern a principal concern of municipal governments is the abuse by the underage. The strongest arguments proferred against the wide use of wagering machines is that children will engage in a practice where there is no attendant. Accordingly, such machines may be restricted to limited access locations such as Bars--Liquor stores etc., that restrict access by children which results in reducing market participation by those who do not frequent either Bars or Liquor stores.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a lottery system that will operate efficiently and safely, one that is novel, accurate and will instill confidence in the players, and provide for widespread use yet capable of controlling the playing thereof by persons excluded by the rules and regulations of the game.